The U.S. military’s effort to keep the Asia-Pacific region stable and secure in the face of a rising China is akin to the 50-year Cold War standoff with the Soviet Union, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Wednesday. Chinese and U.S. actions and reactions in the South China Sea are just one part of a grand pattern in an era he predicted will end when China changes internally.

The U.S. should consider bilateral discussions with China to help it save face in the South China Seas, which while could be politically risky it "will help China escape the blind alley its imprudent policies have steered it toward" and de-escalate tensions in the region.